Spiritual Warfare: Weapons
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (MSG)
“The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.”
Ephesians 6:10-12 (NIVUK)
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
This is fighting talk from the Paul in these verses! I don’t know much about rowing as a sport, but his encouragement and urging us to spiritually fight back with our ‘God-tools’ reminds me of a coxswain sitting at the front of a boat in a race, facing the crew, motivating them to row as hard as they can to victory.
We can see from these verses that God has given us powerful weapons. Earlier in this letter (2 Corinthians 4:7), Paul states that this power does not come from us, but from God. There have been times in my life when I have felt broken, defeated, far from God, and unable to pray. Years ago, I remember being prayed for during prayer ministry and then encouraged to listen to what the Holy Spirit was saying to me personally, receiving words of encouragement in that place of utter despair.
When we understand what we have been given by God through the Holy Spirit, we are presented with a choice as to how to respond. It can be tempting to either try and exercise more control or to do nothing at all. However, our response can be intentional and with faith that what we choose to do will make a difference.
Prayer and intercession (praying on behalf of others), worship, loving and looking out for others, studying the Bible: these are just some of the weapons with which we fight. Ephesians 6 details our spiritual armour and I believe that when we start to understand the significance of how God has clothed and armed us, we are better prepared to face the battles that come our way. It’s not that there won’t be difficulties or setbacks, but that we will be better equipped to resist or come through difficult times.
Prayer — Lord, thank you that you are powerful and sovereign. Help me to grow in my understanding of all the ways in which you strengthen me and to be spiritually equipped to face any challenging circumstances that may come my way.